"When the opportunity to move back to came knocking, my husband and I jumped on it," she explained. " I never envisioned myself living anywhere else but Azilda. As we started house shopping we couldn’t find what we were looking for in Rayside Balfour. We decided to expand our search for houses. Little did we know how amazing the Valley was."

What impressed both Miryam and Eric was the fact that there were so many beautiful houses from which to choose and so many quiet neighbourhoods. 

"Even though the neighbourhoods are so quiet, everything is at your finger tips," she stated. " Sudbury all the time is so wonderful."

She continued, "We decided to buy our first home in Val Thérèse. The people here are just amazing. They are welcoming and ready to lend a hand if needed. I love the way every neighbour looks out for each other. I feel safe in my home in the valley. My boys always enjoy going to the park or the recreation centre. There are always things to do. My family and I are francophone. I find it very pleasant to go do my groceries and daily errands and always have someone around that speaks French.  Now with the new Canadian Tire being built, there is honestly no reason  to  ever leave the Valley. We never envisioned living here, but now  that we are here we can’t see ourselves living any place else but  Valley East."

Miryâm suggested that even though there is so much good to be said about the Valley, she hopes that something is done to keep the parks a bit cleaner. In fact, Miryâm echoed the comments of many other parents with young children who have also expressed concerns about the condition of the parks. She stated, " There is often lots of garbage and broken glass, and most of the time it takes a few phone calls to the city to finally get it cleaned up."

Besides the park issue, when asked for other suggestions on how to improve the community to make it even more pleasant for people like the Giguère Family, all she could think of were the following, " My three year old son would like for me ask Mr. Desjardins of Desjardins' Food Basics to get small grocery baskets or baskets with three holes to fit both my boys so they can shop along with their mom. That would also make my shopping experience more enjoyable. I also think all signs in the mall and  everywhere in the Valley should be bilingual. Besides that there isn’t much else I would change about the Valley. I think everyone in Valley East is doing their part and doing a fine job of it, to make this the best place to live in the City of  Greater Sudbury."

Melissa Cormier (18), on the left, and Chrystelle Girard (21), spent some time at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre recently, but the two young ladies weren't shopping. They were redoing the Community Living Greater Sudbury bulletin board. Melissa and Chrystelle were in the final weeks of their summer employment with CLGS and couldn't say anything but nice things about their experiences. They have enjoyed all of their assignments and activities since beginning their jobs with CLGS in the spring.

Melissa will be entering the 1st year of the five-year Concurrent Education Program at Laurentian University and hopes to be able to begin a career as a teacher upon graduation. She felt that here work with CLGS has helped her gain a better understanding of the skills necessary to become a good teacher.

Chrystelle, a mother of a young two-year old, will be heading back to class this fall in Year One of the Environmental Earth Sciences program at Laurentian University. She explained that her husband is very supportive of her goal to get into a career in the environmental field and she is looking forward to the challenges.

Both Melissa and Chrystelle are hoping to return to Community Living Greater Sudbury next summer.

The club has come a long way from a day in Mid-March 2002 when a dedicated group of modelers met at a local restaurant for breakfast. The History of the Club, which can be found on the web site best explains how the Greater Sudbury Modelers came to be.

Gaston Boissonneault, shown as he scurried around helping make sure that everything ran smoothly during the Air Show, was instrumental in securing the land for the club and helping bring the dream to life on July 3, 2004 during the grand opening celebrations.

During the first year of operations a permanent shelter was built and club members laid the biggest R/C airstrip in Northern Ontario. The airstrip is 800 feet long and 80 feet wide.

Flying is done most weeknights and weekends and the general public is always welcome to drop in and watch the pilots fly their crafts.

The quickest way to reach our field is to take Highway 69 North (Regional Road 80) to Valley East from the intersection of Lasalle Blvd. and Notre Dame Avenue, in Sudbury. From that intersection follow the highway North until you hit Dominion Drive. King Sportswear is at the intersection you will need to turn at. At the lights, turn right and head down Dominion. The drive is roughly 2 minutes until you hit the road entrance to our field. The entrance is the driveway to our Presidents house, Gaston Boissonneault. The sign is posted at the road and you can't miss our beautiful shelter which shall endure the elements for years to come.

Greater Sudbury Modelers flying field can be found at 1157 Dominion Drive, Hanmer, Ontario. Click Here for Map / Driving Directions.

The photos included in this article were all taken at the 3rd Annual Model Airshow & Yardsale. On the left you can see one of the participants with his model helicopter hovering above the landing strip. Below, you can see one of the members carrying his model aircraft to the pilots' area for preparation to fly.

All who attended the event were impressed with the facilities as well as the skill level of the flyers. Some of the aircraft were valued at up $10,000, so as you watch a plane coming in for a possible crash landing, it is a bit nerve-racking. We congratulate all of the members of the Greater Sudbury Modelers on three fine seasons and wish them the best of luck in the future. 

For more information be sure to visit their web site at www.greatersudburymodelers.com

Laurna-Lynn Mills, Manager of the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre location of Sole Mates Family Footwear, is especially proud of the selection of footwear that they have been able to arrange for children of all ages this summer.

"The Ripzone and Powderroom skateboard shoes will be a big hit with everyone," Laurna commented. "Both brands are excellent quality and both put arch supports in their footwear. In fact, the manufacturer of these brands is one of the only companies that puts in arch supports. In addition, they are very trendy for back-to-school fashion demands and the children will simply love the new colour combinations this year."

Parents will love the price of these shoes as much as their children will love wearing them. Adult size Ripzone and Powderroom shoes are now on sale for only $59.99 (Reg. $69.99) and children sizes are only $49.99 (Reg. $59.99).

You can also get an additional 10% off when you purchase two or more of any combination of athletic wear products. These can be of any combination. For example, if you purchase one adult pair and one children pair, you get 10% off of the already low sale price. You can't beat this for back-to-school savings.

Celine Henry, a Sales Associate at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre site, is shown in the photo to the left arranging the new fall line of shoes by L.A. Gear, Ryka, and Avia. Both Laurna and Celine invite everyone in the area to take time to look over these new shoes as well.

If you want to learn more about Sole Mates Family Footwear, check out their web site at:

www.solematesfamilyfootwear.ca 

When it comes to people who are new to the community, there are two business owners who tend to meet them all. Of course we are referring to Mike Lemieux, who along with his brother, Mag Lemieux, own Hanmer Home Hardware, and Ken Desjardins, owner of Desjardins' Food Basics.

"Everyone moving in to a new home or apartment has a need for cleaning and repair supplies as well as start-up groceries," explained Mike Lemieux. "So Ken and I decided that we would put together a basket of 'goodies' to give as a gift to all newcomers to Valley East as our way of saying 'Thank You for choosing our town' and to give them a hand with settling in."

Ken Desjardins owns and operates one of the busiest grocery stores in the entire City of Greater Sudbury, so he has definitely noticed the impact of new home owners in the community. "When it comes to stocking up the shelves after moving into a new home, we know it is expensive. We also know that those first few days are days when you are constantly discovering additional items for your shopping list. The Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre is a great place to come to pick up just about everything you need to make your move complete, so we wanted to say thank you for your support."

Anyone who has moved into a new home; purchased an older home; or moved into an apartment in the Towns of Valley East or Capreol since July 1, 2006, is encouraged to drop in to see Mike Lemieux at Hanmer Home Hardware in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. He will answer any questions you may have about the community and make sure you receive your gift basket. Several other mall merchants will be adding to the gift basket with items of their own, including Dixie Lee Restaurant which will be providing you with a $25 gift certificate so that you can eat out after your move in.

For More Information on the Welcome Home Gift Basket
Call Mike Lemieux at (705) 969-7000
or email Robert Kirwan at robert@kirwan.ca 

   The "Keep The Spirit Alive Contest" was only introduced to the community during the month of June, and already it is picking up momentum as residents not only like the idea of winning valuable prizes, but they also are thrilled about the fact that they can do their small part to help improve the overall community spirit in Valley East and Capreol.

   Three community-minded local businessmen have teamed up to begin a “Keep The Spirit Alive Campaign” and they are inviting all residents to help them spread the message that Valley East is a great place in which to live!

   From left to right in the photo: Mike Lemieux, owner of Hanmer Home Hardware, Robert Kirwan, Publisher of the Valley East Today Community Web Site, and Ken Desjardins of Desjardins’ Food Basics announced the launch of the campaign during a press conference which was held at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre.

   In explaining the purpose of the initiative, Kirwan explained, “We want to let everyone know that Valley East is a town where you can still find that “old style community spirit” mixed with a modern lifestyle that fits right in with the 21^st Century. There are a lot of good things happening in Valley East and it is about time that the rest of the people in the City of Greater Sudbury knew about it. Furthermore, it is also time to let the rest of the province know that if anyone is looking for a place to live and raise a family, or a place to retire within the City of Greater Sudbury , they need look no further than Valley East .”
  
   In order to help get this message out to the rest of the “world” the people of Valley East are being asked to take part in a massive communication strategy using the power of the internet. 

   Everyone participating in this campaign will have a chance to win a “Grand Prize” consisting of 100 Lotto 649 tickets for the New Year’s Eve Draw on December 31, 2006 . What a way to celebrate the New Year by winning the big prize with one of those tickets!

   Runners up will receive other valuable prizes, including “two” mountain bikes donated by Hanmer Home Hardware, $300 in groceries from Desjardins’ Food Basics, More prizes from other local merchants may be announced in the coming weeks before the contest ends. 

   In order to qualify for these prizes, all you have to do is register to receive the Valley East Today Weekly Online News Magazine. Every month from July until the end of December, ten names will be drawn at random from all of the people registered to receive the publication. Those ten people will qualify for our final draw which will be held on Christmas Eve. The winners will be announced in the December 26 issue of Valley East Today!

   Once you register, the Valley East Today Online Weekly News Magazine, which is currently being received by over 2000 people, will be sent directly to your email address every Tuesday.  Not only will you qualify to win the 100 Lotto 649 tickets or other runner up prizes, but more importantly, you can help us  “Keep the Spirit Alive” by forwarding Valley East Today to everyone on your own personal mailing list. By using the power of the internet, we can let tens of thousands of people know about Valley East every week.

We want to thank all of the people who take the time to send in comments. In order to protect the privacy of our readers, it is our policy to omit the names of our readers, unless you give us specific permission to print your name. We hope you enjoy some of the comments sent in this week.